As the Earthen Stag Walks (The Simulacrum Book 1)

by David Chesney

  Seelios tried to pull a leg underneath of him but was met with a pain so great it nearly made him vomit. He felt as if there wasn’t a single bone in his body that was whole. Even with his greatest summoning of will power, Seelios was only able to move a couple inches before a crushing weight pinned his legs to the ground. Seelios screamed as all feeling left the lower half of his body. His body grew weaker by the moment and felt death was nearly upon him.

  He craned his neck to see the golem towering over him, driving its foot into the ground where Seelios’s legs were. Even if he managed to grab hold of the rejuvenation stone, he would still need to get out from underneath the golem’s weight. He wondered if the runic artifact would even be able to heal all of the injuries his body sustained.

  The howl of a battle cry rang out and Walter the innkeep came charging from a ruined shop, brandishing a large wood axe. He swung with two hands and landed a blow against the back of the golem’s leg with a clang. Walter brought up the head of the axe and inspected it with a face of disbelief. A large chunk of metal was missing while the golem’s leg yielded barely a scratch.

  The golem reared its head around and looked at Walter, still keeping its foot on Seelios. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Seelios writhed and twisted under the stony foot, multiplying the pain of his broken bones. Despite his best efforts, he wasn’t able to budge. In his movements, he felt the jab of the teleportation totem in his chest. The artifact responded with a glowing warmth that emitted light from inside his tunic.

  Seelios didn’t have time to concentrate, he just felt the connection with the artifact come as quick as a natural reaction. A flash erupted around him and he found himself sprawled out on the dirt once more, but the pressure from the golem’s foot gone. The rejuvenation stone glimmered right beside his face. He realized he’d teleported only a foot, maybe not even, but it was enough to make a world of difference. Straining his barely functioning joints, Seelios rotated his body until his arm flopped across the dirt. As soon as his fingertips made contact he put the runic artifact to use. Bones reconnected and muscles reattached as the warmth flowed once again, relieving searing pain and restoring vigor.

  Seelios stood on his feet with renewed courage, but his heart sank when he looked at his hand. The glowing runes on the rejuvenation stone had faded, making it look like an ordinary river stone once again. Cracks appeared and spread over its surface. It had become completely devoid of the thriving mana once within in it.

  Seelios looked up at the golem, which fixed its attention back onto him after Walter had ducked back into a maze of rubble. Another hit from the monster and Seelios would have no way to recover. He needed to find a way to end the fight, fast.

  He looked down at his empty hands and realized he’d lost his spear. He jerked his head left and right, searching the area when a twinkle of light caught Seelios’s attention. The shaft of the orichalcum spear protruded out of the side of a shop’s wall. He sprinted for it and the golem stomped after him, sending shock waves through the ground.

  A pile of rubble exploded from the swooping arm of the golem and blasted Seelios with rocks and chunks of splintered wood. He shielded his face and body with his arms as he continued to run. He reached the spear and felt his mind slip into a familiar focus. The ring on his hand grew hot and his vision changed, showing flowing lines of mana as they coursed through the buildings and landscape around him. He looked at the spear and could see a bright concentration of light running through the core of the shaft, all the way to the flattened head of the spear blade. It looked like a dazzling star, molded into a tool for destruction. He grabbed the spear and pulled. The wall crumbled away from the shining weapon as it slipped out with ease.

  Seelios spun on the golem thundering toward him. When his eyes fell upon the animated rock, seeing with the power of the truth ring, he witnessed it in its purest form. Sparkling streams of mana bound the boulders at various joints, linking them together. Green light fanned out from a central point in its chest, where its concentration was the greatest.

  Seelios jumped backward, just in time to dodge a fist that slammed into the ground. A cloud of dust billowed up and he could see the skeletal form of the golem, mana flowing like blood through transparent limbs. He saw the arm raise up again to strike, the surges of mana displaying its every movement and revealing the secrets of its actions.

  Using his newfound perception, Seelios realized that his attempts to fight the golem head-on were futile. No matter when he attacked, the golem’s speed and range far outpaced anything that Seelios could respond with. Still, something inside him told him to act, despite the disadvantage.

  Seelios lunged forward, preparing for the impact of the golem’s hand. Another surge of razor-sharp focus overtook him and light flashed from the teleportation totem. The glowing chest of the golem was suddenly so close that he could’ve reached out and touched it. He found himself sailing forward in mid-air, inside the elbow of the golem’s outstretched arm.

  Using his momentum, Seelios plunged the spear into the core of green mana. The orichalcum slipped through the rock like a toothpick piercing a soft loaf of bread. He crashed into the golem, then fell to the ground between its feet. He shook the daze from the landing and scrambled away.

  The light of the golem’s eyes flashed a bright green, then faded to darkness. Strands of light that made up its glowing skeleton shrank until they’d become razor thin lines. It swayed for a moment, the spear shaft sticking out of its chest, then crashed to the ground. The strand of mana connecting its head to the body broke with a sputter of green light, and it rolled away until it rested beside the remains of a house. The remaining lines of green light faded and the limbs dropped to the ground with deep thuds, once again ordinary stones.

  Seelios sat on the ground, staring at the pile of inanimate stones that had been responsible for so much destruction. His gaze lingered for a long moment, taking in what he thought to be impossible. He had won. He felled the giant and saved the town, at least what was left of it.

  Seelios stood and dusted himself off. When he looked up, he saw the surrounding clay men staring at him from behind half-standing walls. He climbed atop the chest of the rock golem and pulled the spear. He turned to the clay men and readied himself to fight, but they remained. He wondered if they were waiting for reinforcements, or even the God of Earth himself. Or maybe they were just struck with awe.

  The clay men slowly began to shrink away. They turned their backs and fled to the surrounding trees in their awkward gaits. Seelios watched the essence of their mana crumble and sink into the ground as they retreated into the earth to join their master.

  Seelios realized that he’d never truly taken a long look at the world with the power of the truth ring. He swept his gaze over the surrounding landscape, seeing the flowing life of trees and animals far in the distance that would otherwise be blocked from sight. Jutting out of the horizon was a tower gleaming with light, stretching up high into the sky.

  A single cry of victory rang out from behind a wall, jostling Seelios out of his focused gaze. The tower of light faded into blue of the sky as his vision reverted back to normal. More shouts followed as villagers poured out from their hiding places. Some mourned over the destruction of their homes while others collapsed in tears, thankful to still be alive. Reunited families hugged each other as if they’d never let go again. Seelios watched the villagers, smiling at the sight of them happy to be with each other. He realized then that he found more purpose in saving those people than anything else he’d done in his life.

  A crowd gathered in front of the shop with the sagging blue awning. Seelios jogged over and the crowd split, revealing Gregory laying where he’d been before. The disciple formed a smile when their eyes met.

  “You’ve done it,” he whispered.

  Villagers looked at Seelios with smiles, nodding in agreement.

  “Who are you, boy, and where do you come from?” a man’s voice asked. Walter, the innkeeper, stepped out
from the crowd.

  “My name is Seelios. I’m from a small village in the foothills of the Southern Mountains.”

  “Seelios. We will remember that name for the rest of our lives. Thank you for saving us.” Walter bowed his head. The other villagers did the same.

  “What do we do now?” another voice asked from the crowd.

  “Our homes are destroyed, there’s nothing left,” someone else said.

  Murmurs erupted from the crowd as the villagers exchanged worried looks and shared concerns.

  “Silence,” Walter said. “Let the young man speak.”

  The crowd grew quiet and all eyes fell back on Seelios. He looked around at the expectant faces. Not sure what to say, he looked down at Gregory.

  “These people are your responsibility now, Seelios,” the disciple said. He winced as he spoke, as if the action pained him. If only the rejuvenation stone were still intact.

  Seelios looked back at the faces of the villagers. There were men and women, even children, who had faces of fear and despair. He knew how they felt, suddenly uprooted from their homes, losing all sense of security. Gregory was right, these people were terrified that something like this might happen to them again. Without Seelios’s intervention, they probably wouldn’t have survived.

  Seelios looked down at Gregory. “I need to take this man to Paloise. Come with us. My home too was destroyed by the God of Earth and I am lost, just like you, but we can find another home together.”

  Murmurs broke out again as people nodded their heads in agreement. After experiencing the devastation of a golem, none of them were eager to stay. The crowd slowly dispersed as people ran off to ready wagons and pack supplies.

  People began to gather at the village square, bringing all their belongings in travel sacks and pack horses. Some brought what was left of their livestock while others stood empty-handed. Those who lost everything were taken in by others who had some left to give, offering clothes and food. Wagons were shared and carefully packed to the brim so that everyone could take their essentials.

  Seelios and a few other men gently lifted Gregory into the back of a covered wagon with the other injured. The town physician crouched, tending to the wounds of those that needed it most.

  “Please, take care of him,” Seelios said as he backed away from the wagon.

  The healer looked up at him through thick glasses. “Perhaps you can show me how to use that stone of yours?”

  Seelios reached into his pocket and pulled out the rejuvenation stone. He felt nothing as he held it in his palm, its surface scarred with a web of cracks.

  “I wish I could,” Seelios said.

  Villagers milled about, sorting through the rubble and gathering the last bits of their belongings. It wasn’t long before all of the horses were packed to their limit. The wagon loads were bulging out the sides.

  Seelios was about to help a woman when he felt a tug on his tunic from behind. He turned and saw the smiling face of a young boy looking up at him, no more than four or five years old. He had dark brown eyes and a thick head of shaggy black hair.

  “You’re really strong, aren’t you?” the boy said.

  “I . . . well, no not particularly,” Seelios said with a smile.

  The boy swung his arms from side to side, looking down at the ground. “But that monster was really scary and you killed it.”

  Walter walked up beside them. “Come now, you know better than to bother people who are busy.” He put a hand on the boy’s head and tousled his hair. The innkeeper turned and smiled at Seelios. “Sorry about that, he’s a curious one. This is my son, Elrick.” He looked down at the little boy. “You need to go be with your mother. Go on, say goodbye to Seelios.”

  The boy looked down and started kicking the dirt. “Goodbye Mr. Seelios. Sorry to bother you.”

  Seelios chuckled. “It’s alright, Elrick.”

  They both watched the boy scurry off to a blonde woman in a dark blue dress, standing near one of the wagons. She smiled as he ran up to her, scooping him up in her arms and smothering him with kisses. Seelios and Walter laughed together as Elrick squirmed and turned his face away in revulsion. Such sweet moments reminded Seelios of his own childhood, except he never did have a mother to shower him with affection.

  Walter turned to face Seelios. “What you did for us, returning here and killing that creature, it was the greatest feat of bravery I’d ever seen.” He frowned as he looked around. “The others, they might look like they’re fine, but I know these people, they’re terrified. Not only of another attack, but to leave this place. Most have known no other land except what you see before you, including myself.” He placed a hand on Seelios’s shoulder and smiled. “But you’ve given us the courage we need. That’s why we want you to lead us.”

  Walter gestured toward an open horse-drawn wagon at the head of the caravan that had formed. The people of Alnerwick stood around it, waiting for Seelios to take his seat as their guide.

  16

  It was common knowledge that the surest path to Paloise was to follow the Brascella River, but its wide turns and bends around the landscape made for a lengthy journey. The better way was to take a straight route, but no one was well traveled enough to know the way. The Trade Road was another known route to take, but Alnerwick was far from the beaten path. In order to reach either road or river, they had no choice but to travel through the forest, a thought that worried Seelios.

  The wagons lurched forward and the caravan made its first tracks out of Alnerwick. Villagers looked longingly at their homes, some appearing stricken with grief at the thought of leaving. Their aimless journey seemed to make them uneasy, but there was nowhere else to go. Still, Seelios wished that he had a better heading on Paloise than just a plan to follow a long river somewhere in the woods. There must have been a better way.

  An answer appeared when the tree line sprung to life with an extravagant blossoming of flowers. Vibrant colors of pink, purple, red, and yellow bloomed between leaves off branches and vines that wound up trunks. The flower petals opened and stretched out, forming an arch that framed an entrance to the forest. It was inviting and beautiful, the complete opposite of the dead tunnel that Garrick had made. Wispy green eyes emerged as the God of Earth stepped out in his earthen stag form and met Seelios’s eyes. He felt his heart jump to his throat. Gasps came from the people behind him as the whole caravan halted.

  Seelios focused his thoughts on the power of the truth ring and his vision changed. An aura of benevolence swirled around the god and gave no indication of immediate danger. It would appear that the God of Earth came in peace.

  “It’s alright,” Seelios said as he kept his eyes fixed on the stag. It blinked at him, staring back, then swooshed its mossy mane as it turned back to the forest. It took a few steps and looked back, as if waiting for them to follow.

  “It’s not here to harm us,” Seelios said. He lifted his hand from the orichalcum spear resting next to him and picked up the reins.

  Walter ran up beside Seelios. “What are you doing? That thing is an avatar of the God of Earth.”

  “I know,” Seelios said.

  “He’ll see us dead if we go near!” the innkeeper said.

  Seelios looked out at the earthen stag in the distance and remembered the respect the god had given Seelios for his demonstration of power. “He’s here to guide us.”

  “It’s a trap,” a woman yelled out. “He wants to lure us into the forest.”

  Seelios stood up in the wagon and turned around. “Gameus has brought death and pain to us all, but if he wanted us dead he could’ve come here and done it himself. I’ve seen his power.” He stepped down from the wagon. “I know this may be hard for you to believe, but he wishes to see us to safety.”

  The villagers exchanged looks of worry and concern, whispering amongst themselves and shaking their heads.

  “That rock creature killed many of our friends and family. Why would the god help us?” a man said from the crowd. />
  Voices got louder as the crowd grew angry. People began to walk away and retreat back toward the ruins of Alnerwick.

  Walter yelled and quieted the crowd.

  “The God of Earth didn’t change his mind,” Seelios said. “He was looking for someone; someone strong. And now that I’ve destroyed one of his most powerful minions, he believes that person is me.”

  Whispers spread through the crowd as they grew calmer.

  Seelios pointed to the stag. “Come with me and let the God of Earth guide us to Paloise.”

  As the caravan moved closer to the forest, the stag turned and walked deeper into the woods. The flowering trees that framed the entrance widened as Seelios approached. As the stag stepped, gentle waves rippled out through the dirt and left a perfectly smooth path better than any man-made road. Seelios looked at the trees and bushes lining the pathway, vibrant with a natural life that made leaves greener and strips of bark richer in color than anything he’d ever seen in the wild. The very presence of the earthen stag seemed to invigorate the environment around it.

  “This seems a bit strange, don’t you think?” Walter said, riding on a horse beside Seelios’s wagon. “Why would the God of Earth first attack us, then help us?”

  Seelios’s mind went to the moment when Gameus held him captive in the woods. He thought about what he had witnessed when he used the truth ring. Deep down the God of Earth had good in him, but there was a source of fear guiding his actions. It drove him to do terrible things, but he wouldn’t tell why. Perhaps granting Seelios safe passage to Paloise was somehow addressing that which the god feared.

  “I don’t know,” Seelios said. “All I know is he had the chance to kill me, but wished me to live.”